Rules edition: This tactics guide uses the 2024 Player’s Handbook Orc and Fighter. It concentrates on movement, target choice, and encounter decisions; the Orc Fighter build guide covers species traits, ability scores, and class progression.
A Fighter’s tactical advantage is often having a useful option on the turn when the battlefield changes. The Orc’s Adrenaline Rush can reposition you and grant Temporary Hit Points, while Fighter features and weapon mastery provide separate ways to pressure enemies. Treat each feature according to its own action, use, and recovery rules.
Choose a position before choosing a target
At the start of your turn, check who threatens your allies, what routes are open, and whether moving exposes you to attacks. If a dangerous enemy is near a spellcaster or ranged ally, closing the gap may be more valuable than attacking a weaker target. If your own defenses are low, use cover or let a sturdier teammate hold the front.
Adrenaline Rush lets you take Dash as a Bonus Action, with Temporary Hit Points equal to your Proficiency Bonus. It can help you reach an enemy, cross a dangerous area, or withdraw when the encounter shifts. It does not grant an extra attack. Your use limit equals your Proficiency Bonus, and the uses return after a Short or Long Rest, so spend one when the movement or buffer matters.
Use weapon mastery to shape the fight
The 2024 Fighter chooses weapon masteries and can change a choice after the required practice period. Pick weapons whose mastery properties contribute to different situations instead of carrying several that all do the same job. A slowing or pushing effect may help keep a threat away from an ally; another property may help you create an opening for the party. Check each weapon’s current mastery text before planning a combo.
Movement and weapon effects still obey their own limits. A push does not automatically move a creature through a wall, and a slow effect does not prevent every form of movement. Tell the table which mastery property you are using and apply the effect to the correct target.
Coordinate actions and resources
Second Wind is a Bonus Action that restores Hit Points. Adrenaline Rush also uses a Bonus Action, so you generally choose which one matters more on that turn. Action Surge gives an additional action, not a second Bonus Action. A Fighter subclass may add more options, but use its feature text rather than assuming resources can be stacked freely.
Relentless Endurance can keep you at 1 Hit Point when you would otherwise drop to 0, but it is once per Long Rest. It is a safety net, not a plan to ignore attacks. If an enemy is likely to knock you down, consider retreating, using cover, or asking an ally for help before your turn ends.
Make your tactics serve the party
Ask what the group needs in each encounter. You may hold a doorway while allies reposition, pressure an enemy concentrating on a spell, or use a weapon property to move a target away from a fragile companion. Communicate your intention so an ally can take advantage of the opening. Control matters even when it does not add damage to your own turn.
For a Half-Orc using the original 2014 rules, the species and Fighter features differ. See the separate legacy Half-Orc Fighter guide rather than combining its fixed ability increases or Savage Attacks with a current Orc build.
Official Rules Sources
- 2024 Player’s Handbook: Orc — Adrenaline Rush and Relentless Endurance.
- 2024 Basic Rules: Fighter — Second Wind, Action Surge, Weapon Mastery, and subclass progression.
- 2024 Basic Rules: Creating a Character — character options and backgrounds.
